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Selected Possibilites of Using Infrared Spectroscopy in Criminalistics STRUĆNI RAD (PROFESSIONAL PAPER) UDK: 343.983.2 Ľuboš Cehlárik, Mgr. PhD student of Criminalistic and Forensic Science Department Academy of the Police Force, Bratislava, Slovakia Phone: +421 9610 57473 E-mail: [email protected] SELECTED POSSIBILITES OF USING INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY IN CRIMINALISTICS Abstract: Infrared spectroscopy is one of the most commonly used spectroscopic methods in criminalistics, through which various kinds of criminalistic traces can be explored. It finds wide application in academic research, but also in research of forensic laboratories in order to obtain results ap- plicable in criminalistic practice. The paper provides information about selected possibilities of using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and its modifications in investigation of specific criminalistic traces such as documents, banknotes, cosmetics, blood traces and adhesive materials. Keywords: infrared spectroscopy, chemometrics, paper, banknotes, hair cosmetics, lipstick, blood traces, adhesive tape 55 L. Cehlárik - SELECTED POSSIBILITIES OF USING INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY IN CRIMINALISTICS, str. 55-70 _____________________________________________________________________________ 1. A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THE BASIC THEORETICAL BASIS OF INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY Infrared spectroscopy (IR spectroscopy) is a physico-chemical method that deals with the measurement and evaluation of absorption spectra of substances in the wavelength range 800 nm to 1000 μm (wavelength range from 12500 to 10 cm- 1). The advantage of infrared spectroscopy is the possibility to study substances in all dimensions and states, such as liquid substances, solutions, pastes, powder samples, paints, gases, different surfaces, polymers, organic and inorganic compounds, biological samples, oils, catalysts, minerals, organometallic compounds. IR has its irreplaceable role in the identification of molecules, the detection of new compounds, the study of chemical equilibria and the kinetics of chemical reactions. This fact is also proved by the fact that IR spectroscopy is currently one of the most widely used analytical techniques. In the past, IR prism spectrometers used optical prisms as dispersion devices (1940s) and optical grids (1950s). The introduction of the Fourier transform and the use of interferometers in spectrometers have made significant progress in the field of chemical research (Milata et al., 2008). During the clarifying of the basic principles of how infrared spectroscopy works and to understand its principles, we may ask at the outset why some compounds absorb infrared radiation only at certain wavelengths and some do not? In answering this question, we need to look at the molecular level of the substances studied. Each molecule has its own energy, which corresponds to the movements inside the molecule, which is manifested by protracting and shortening bonds, increasing and decreasing valence angles; these phenomena are called vibrations (Figure 1) (Milata et al., 2008). Figure 1: Some allowed vibrational movements in molecules (McMurry, 2007). The energy of a molecule does not change continuously, but is quantized, and therefore the molecule can be lengthened and shortened with certain frequencies that correspond to certain energy levels. McMurry, in his publication (2007), gives an example that focuses on the length of bonding between atoms and points out that the perception of chemical bond lengths cannot be understood as a fixed 56 L. Cehlárik - SELECTED POSSIBILITIES OF USING INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY IN CRIMINALISTICS, str. 55-70 _____________________________________________________________________________ value, but an average value, since the bonds constantly change their length in the context mentioned above. The 110 µm length oscillates at a certain frequency, alternately extending and shortening as a spring between two atoms. It further states that after radiation of a molecule by electromagnetic radiation, energy is absorbed when the frequency of electromagnetic radiation coincides with the frequency of vibration, resulting in (absorption of energy) an increase in the vibration amplitude (the „spring“ between two atoms lengthens and shortens a little bit more.) The principle of the method is that a certain frequency of radiation absorbed by a molecule corresponds to a certain molecular motion, allowing chemists to study different types of molecular vibrations by compounds by measuring their infrared spectrum. Chemical bonds are present in the molecule of the substance to be measured, which is of practical importance in the subsequent determination of the functional groups present in the molecule. Infrared radiation is generally divided into near-infrared, NIR, 800-2500 nm, followed by middle-infrared, MIR, 2,5 - 25 μm, ie 4000-400 cm-1) and in a far- infrared, FIR, 25-1000 μm, ie 400-10 cm-1). Low-energy radiation in the far infrared region causes only a change in the rotational states of the molecules, and the effects of radiation in the middle and near infrared regions change the rotational and vibrant states of the molecule. From the point of view of structural measurements, the middle and far infrared region is the most interesting for chemists (Milata et al., 2008). Interpretation of infrared spectra is difficult because the molecules of interest are often large, allowing for a considerable amount of valence and deformation vibrations. The resulting the infrared spectrum therefore contains many absorption bands, which in practice can be considered as a specific „fingerprint“ of a given compound. The ‚fingerprint‘ area is usually in the range from 1500 cm-1 to about 400 cm-1, as the infrared spectra are the most complex. The principle is that if two compounds have an almost identical infrared spectrum, we can say that it is one and the same substance (McMurry, 2007). When interpreting infrared spectra, we observe most often the position and shape of the absorption bands, their number and intensity (Milata et al., 2008). Most of the functional groups that the molecule contains characteristic absorption bands in the infrared spectrum, and their position does not change too much for each type of compound (McMurry, 2007). If we can identify individual absorption bands of functional groups, we gain valuable information about the structure of molecules, which is an important element in the complex identification of chemical substances. By way of illustration, we present the infrared spectrum of the organic compound hex-1-ene (Figure 2) and a table with characteristic absorption bands of selected functional groups (Table 1). 57 L. Cehlárik - SELECTED POSSIBILITIES OF USING INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY IN CRIMINALISTICS, str. 55-70 _____________________________________________________________________________ Figure 2: Example of hex-1-ene infrared spectrum (McMurry, 2007). Since dispersive infrared spectrometers have their experimental limitations, the following section will focus on Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, which uses an interferometer instead of a grid monochromator. The basic type of interferometer is the Michelson interferometer (Figure 3), which has two perpendicularly oriented mirrors (A, B), of which mirror B is fixed and mirror A moves at a constant speed. Between the mirrors is located a beam splitter (C), which divides the unmodulated beam from the source on both Table 1: Fields of occurrence of bands assigned to valence vibrations of X-H groups (Milata & Segľa, 2007). 58 L. Cehlárik - SELECTED POSSIBILITIES OF USING INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY IN CRIMINALISTICS, str. 55-70 _____________________________________________________________________________ mirrors, recombines after the beam is reflected and outputs the interferometer as a modulated beam. If the incoming beam is monochromatic with a wave (cm- 1), the signal that comes from the interferometer passes through a series of max and min and produces an interferogram that contains all the spectral information that can be obtained from it by Fourier transform. In order to achieve optimal parameters of the infrared spectrum, it is necessary to realize a precisely defined movement of the mirror and an on-line connection to a computer that transforms the digitized value of the detected signal. The acquired values ​​are stored in the computer memory (Miertuš et al., 1991; Milata et al., 2008). Fourier transform infrared spectrometers (FT-IR spectrometers) are analytical instruments consisting of a source of infrared radiation, a laser-controlled interferometer, a sample optical part and a radiation detector. As mentioned above, the signal from the detector is digitized and processed by a computer. Silicon carbide (SiC, Globar) is the most common source for radiation from 5000-250 cm-1 and the wolfram filament bulb is used for the near region (up to 10000 cm-1) and for the far region (up to 20 cm-1) mercury lamp perferometers are most commonly controlled by Figure 3: Scheme of Michelson interferometer (A, B - mirrors, C - beam splitting, Z - source, D - detector) a helium-neon laser, with (Miertuš et al., 1991). some manufacturers using Michelson interferometers (for example Bruker) and others using Fabry-Perrot interferometers (for example Nicolet). It is important to note that the spectral range of the interferometers depends on the beam splitter material (see Figure 3), which may be of germanium, resp. iron oxide. Polyethylene terephthalate (mylar) films, which are intended for the far infrared region and the spectral region are determined by the film thickness, can also
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